BURN SOUL SOCIETY!
by Hane no Aozora
Summary: The war is about to begin. The preparations are done. Why does Aizen want to crush the current Soul Society so much? Why are the arrancars loyal to him? warning: character death
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You know exactly to whom the characters (and the original plot) belong.

Note: This story was edited by three amateur editors: Mita, Ditari, and Wewe. Thanks, guys!

Chapter 1

All that we know about Soul Society is that they are always right. They rule the world, they decide who's right and who's wrong. Their decisions are absolute. No one could stand against Soul Society's law. Their absoluteness forces everybody to obey them. Those who violate, will never see sunrise again.

The truth is more cruel. The shinigami often take advantage from the souls, using their reiatsu to make people their slaves. Especially the captains, especially Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni.

O_O

"Are the preparations done?" Aizen whispered to Gin's ears. The silver haired man waved at the monitor in front of them, that showed complex lines and dots and joints and all, a creepy image that even a genius wouldn't want to take a look. However, Aizen's brilliance allowed him to understand all those meaningless-like signs.

"Very good," he said, as he folded his arms and nodded simultaneously. "We'll be ready in no time."

"We'll make them suffer for sure," said Gin, grinning very widely. "Will we call a meeting for this, Aizen?"

"Sure. Tell those bastards to gather at the meeting room tomorrow morning, and to not forget to bring their pens and notebooks."

Gin answered him an, "Okay." and Aizen patted his back then walked out of the room.

"You need a rest, Gin. You've worked for forty eight hours by now. Just let Tousen watch it for you."

"No way," Gin shook his head. "Wonderweiss caught flu so he must nurse him. That outgrown baby will tear the sky with his cry if Tousen leave his side even just a second."

"Aizen's face seemed puzzled for a moment. Then he nodded, murmuring, "True," then took his leave.

O_O

Grimmjow snorted as he walked pass Nnoitra in the quiet alleyway.

"Oi, brat!" Nnoitra pointed his zanpakutou right to Grimmjow's neck. "What's that mean?!"

"What?" Grimmjow looked back at him in a disrespectful stare.

"Ya wanna fight with me don't ya?"

Grimmjow frowned. What's with this guy? he thought. Suddenly, an idea freaked him out.

"You wanna 'fuck' me?!" *apparently he didn't hear the word clearly*

"What, you wanna 'fuck' me?" now was Nnoitra's turn being confused. Is he trying to seduce me? Is that the way he want me?

"Go to hell," Grimmjow shoo-ed him, then left. Nnoitra was still dazed from the statement. Hell! If that's how the brat wants me, then bring it on!

He smirked, and walked to the opposite direction.

O_O

"The showdown's this winter, right?" Ukitake sipped his tea. "That's just a few more days…"

"Renji hasn't informed me about anything," Byakuya said. "The exact date is still more than a few days."

"I'm really looking forward to this war," Komamura stared to the sky. "I want to see him."

"Do you mean Tousen?" Hitsugaya asked, his hand was clutching the spoon, stopping it from stirring his milk.

"Who else?" Komamura drank his sake in one gulp.

"Each of us is longing for the battle. Whatever reason we have, in the end this war meant nothing than a fight for life."

They went silent, letting Ukitake's words soaked in to their hearts.

O_O

Ichigo was doing his Modern Japanese homework. His eyes read his text book, searching for a reference, while his fingers tapped on the wooden table, but his mind was away to the past, recalling that short conversation between him and Ulquiorra during the short-duration fight.

"What is truth? What is justice? Why are you shinigami always so eager to fight for something you even don't understand? What I don't see doesn't exist. I see lives so I fight for it. Rational, eh?"

Ichigo silenced. That was the question he had so desperately looked for an answer.

At that fight, he deafened his ears and concentrated on protecting Chad, Inoue, and Tatsuki behind him. But now those words rang in his head over and over again, as if Ulquiorra was there and kept whispering inside his skull.

What is truth? What is justice?

O_O

Aizen leaned onto his hands, his eyes watching his Espadas taking their seats. He had wanted to know about this since a long time but he hadn't asked anyone.

Why did Grimmjow and Ulquiorra always sit in the nearest spot from him? He could understand Ulquiorra, he was Aizen's number one informant after all. But Grimmjow? That brat even resented him, hated anyone that took control of him. Aizen hates Grimmjow too, but he didn't know how they got along so well with such emotion dwelled far inside their hearts.

Aizen could imagine what would Tousen and Gin say if he asked them about this.

"Maybe he loves you, Aizen!" *Gin*

"Maybe he sees a father figure in you, Aizen-sama." *Tousen*

If Aizen would like to have a kid, he would rather his kid like Halibel: calm, beautiful, and sweet.

"Listen, kids," he started, and the room turned to silent. "Victory will be ours in no time. The preparation has been set and I have information about Soul Society's strength as well. Turn on the in focus, Kaname! Everyone, open your notes!"

Tousen turned on the in focus and get back immediately to the front of his laptop, operating the presentation slides. The Espadas pull out their notes and pens.

"Their center of power will rely on our beloved substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo's shoulders. His incredible reiatsu and his ability in calling forth this odd power that is similar to us—" the slide showed them Ichigo with his mask put on "—will be quite troublesome for us. I should say that to win this battle, we have to erase him first. Though he might be as strong as Captain Commander of Soul Society, if we attack him, the ones that would get mad and protect him would be the low class shinigami such as Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji—" the slide showed them Rukia doing her Some no Mai and Renji in his bankai form "—and his school friends, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu, and Sado Yasutora—" picture of Orihime behind her orange shield, Ishida gripping his steer-like bow, and Chad with his glove.

Aizen continued, "I believe the ten of you, the best arrancars in Hueco Mundo, will be able to resist them. But if we start from their Captain Commander, the rest of shinigami will stand for him, and that would be much more difficult for us.

"So I suppose we take down Kurosaki Ichigo first, then we'll eliminate the captains one by one. We'll leave Captain Commander for the last blow. We'll save the best for the last.

"We just need less than a week for Hougyoku to be ready to consume a whole town and it even hasn't winter yet. We'll give them a shock by attacking them tomorrow. I would like Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and Yammy to go. Focus in Kurosaki Ichigo.

"While here, Aaroniero, Halibel, Barragan, Szayel Aporro, Stark, and Zommari, all of you will watch the fight and make a resume out of it within two thousand words and give it to me before dusk in the same day. Are we clear?"

Aizen just had to say all their names because his kids always find one or the other way to excuse themselves from obeying his orders.

"Yessir," the ten of them replied.

"Good. The meeting is end, dismiss."

The Espadas straightened up, then went out from the room orderly.

Nnoitra waited for Grimmjow in the exit.

"Hey, kiddo!"

Grimmjow automatically snapped, "What the fuck do you want?"

"I just want us to talk," Nnoitra grinned what he seemed to think a friendly grin, while Grimmjow wanted to pacify him with his cero to make him stop grinning like that.

"'Bout what?"

"You know… about me and you…"

"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT US FOR US TO TALK ABOUT!!!" Grimmjow immediately cut Nnoitra off and fled away.

"What did you do to him?" Aaroniero whispered from the back of Nnoitra's.

"I think he's just being shy after he confessed to me," Nnoitra answered so surely.

Aaroniero, in Shiba Kaien form, frowned. "Huh? What did he confess to you?"

"Well.. he confessed that he wanted to 'fuck' me!" Nnoitra said happily.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!!!"

O_O

"Oi, Ichigo!" Rukia slapped him in the head. He glared at her, pissed.

"What, Rukia?!"

"You didn't pay attention," Renji answered him for her.

"What's gotten into you lately Kurosaki?" Ishida asked. "Your grades even became lower and lower. I mean, you have an additional job as a substitute shinigami, actually we all have, but you're not the type to let it affect your study life."

All of them gave him worried look.

"Um…" he tried to pick the best words, "have you ever questioned whether what you're doing is right or wrong?"

"Huh?" Rukia glanced at Renji. He raised his shoulders. "Where are we going to go to?"

"Um… well… I think I'll just make it clearer. Have you ever questioned if Yamamoto's decision is right or wrong?"

"He is the absolute commander, Kurosaki, so he has absolute right decisions. He's not like some mere shinigami like us," Hitsugaya said to him undoubtfully.

Rangiku nodded, added, "Sometimes he just commands us to do something that we don't want to do, something that we hate to do, only for us to realize later that that was for our sakes."

"He's the chosen one, the founder of Shinigami Academy. How can we question his policies?" said Renji.

Ichigo scoffed, unsatisfied by the answers. "So that's what you think?"

"Why are you asking this, Ichigo?" Ikkaku shifted his sitting position. "Do you not believe us?"

"No. I just… that arrancar asked me something…"

"What did he asked you?" Rukia instantly grabbed Ichigo's arm, so hard that Ichigo grimaced out of pain.

"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime scolded her.

"He asked me why are we shinigami fighting for what we don't even understand. I Just wanna know… what he meant by… truth…" his voice trailed off as he felt the eyes nailed on him, feeling as if he had uttered something forbidden.

"Don't let an arrancar drive your mind Ichigo," Yumichika said casually.

"Meh… I think we all need a rest," Hitsugaya suddenly pulled himself up. "Let's go to our homes and meet here again tomorrow!"

"Taicho, you are so considerate!" Rangiku hugged Hitsugaya, made Ikkaku and Renji bugged their eyes, envied the fucking fortunate shorty captain for have the chance to be between Rangiku's huge boobs.

"Stop it, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya pushed her away, as if nothing happened in particular. The next second, he disappeared.

"Come on Ikkaku, we 'go home' too. Asano-san would be glad if we come home before dinner," Yumichika tidied his hakama, then leaped out.

"Actually I don't like staying there, but I have no other choice," Ikkaku told them in low voice. Ichigo shot him a gleeful smirk. "Even though that stupid hyperactive prick's sister is treating us like gods."

"Sa, ikou, Ichigo," Rukia said, touched Ichigo's elbow before jumping out through the window, proceeded him towards 'their' home. Renji stared at the place Rukia disappeared.

"Why does she love it so much sleeping in your closet?" were the last words Ichigo heard before he left Orihime's house.

O_O

Ichigo knew that he sucked at sensing other reiatsu, that was why he hadn't contacted anyone. He sat on the bench in the corner of the park, wondering why did he woke up so early in the morning (it was barely three a.m.) and wandered around the near park, feeling awkward as if someone was watching his back. His Zangetsu was ready in his right grip.

He was thinking of coming back home and continue his slumber when he heard rustles nearby. He looked around, sweat ran down through his cheek.

O_O

"Grimmjow, you attack him first," said Ulquiorra, in a commanding tone.

"Why on Earth do I have to do as you say?!" Grimmjow spat.

"Because I'm the highest rank here and that means I have the authority to order all of you," Ulquiorra monotonously answered. When he saw Grimmjow was ready to snap again, he continued, "And you are the lowest rank that still have quite a brain, so you must be grateful because that was a compliment. The three of us will stay nearby and ready to back you up if you need any help." He said the last five words with an underestimating expression exposed in his expressionless face.

Grimmjow sighed. He stepped out from beyond the cartoonish big wide tree, approaching the orange-haired shinigami.

"Oi, Shinigami!" he called.

Ichigo jumped out, startled. The reaction made Grimmjow chuckled.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked warily, his blade was pointed straight at Grimmjow's nose. "Arrancar?"

"Who else would I be?" Grimmjow held his laughter and unsheathed his zanpakutou. "Die, Shinigami!"

Ichigo reflexed, put Zangetsu in front of him to shield his face. The arrancar was fast. Lucky his reaction was faster.

They swayed their swords to each other, sonido-ed and shunpo-ed inside the park circle, trying to be as quiet as possible. Ichigo could feel an unbearable strength from his opponent. He wasn't sure if he could take this one down but he had to try.

He couldn't call for help.

He couldn't let his friends to be injured in his place again.

Even though he knew really well that selfishly deciding to not drag any of his friends into a deathly battle would make his comrades felt like being looked down.

If he had once, even once, screamed any name, or scream any word, his fate might change.

Ulquiorra felt some reiatsu spiked up and coming to their direction. He jumped out from his hideout, followed by Nnoitra and Yammy. Ichigo's eyes bugged. For the moment he felt ease for not calling his friends, but the later moment he felt worried. Would he be able to handle all four of them?

He called forth his bankai. He knew his reiatsu would wake his friends, but he must do it in order to kill those arrancars faster.

"Grimmjow!" Ulquiorra warned as Grimmjow pinned Ichigo to the ground, choking him with his bare hand, smiled an devilish smile as he felt pleasure flowing through his veins seeing his enemy dying. "Aizen-sama gives us a new order."

Grimmjow glanced at the shorter Espada, and the black thing resembled a cell phone in his hand.

"Aizen-sama wants us to capture Kurosaki Ichigo ALIVE!"

"Che… don't you see I'm already finishing this crap?!"

"Aizen-sama tells us to bring him alive! Besides, the other shinigami are coming here. We can't make up a fight with them now so we have to hurry back."

The shinigami were appearing one by one.

Nnoitra humped Grimmjow from the back while Yammy pulled out ropes from his pockets and tied the struggling Ichigo. Ulquiorra instantly opened garganta and the four of them with one prisoner jumped in, right the moment the red headed shinigami swung Zabimaru to them.

Ulquiorra closed the slot and Renji's zanpakutou hit the empty air.

"ICHIGOOOOO!!!!!!" Rukia screamed, as if she could pull Ichigo back with that.

O_O ^_^

AN: This story happens before Aizen kidnap Orihime. Instead of Orihime, I make him kidnap Ichigo, considering Ichigo's power is greater that Orihime's and would be more suitable if the purpose of the kidnapping is to awaken the Hougyoku.

About the fight Ichigo recalled, it is the twist from the episode when Ulquiorra and Yammy first seen in the living world.

Ichigo hadn't able to control his inner hollow. The said mask is the mask that forcefully came out when he faced Byakuya.


	2. Chapter 2

Dhinx's note: I ripped some lines from translation of Tobira no Mukou e by Yellow Generation, second ending for the anime Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, and added them here. It's one of my favorite songs.

Oh, and, sorry for the OOC-ness.

Chapter 2

He remembered seeing his friends except Orihime arrived at the park to help him. He saw them just in one second before the slot was closed by Ulquiorra. The next second, he was knocked out by a hit on the specific spot in the back of his head.

O_O

Ichigo woke up in his inner world. Zangetsu stood on a thin stick and Shirosaki squatted beside him.

"Why am I here? What happened?" he directed his question to Zangetsu.

"We dragged you here because we need to tell you something," Zangetsu started.

"What is that?"

"Believe in your deepest heart."

Ichigo frowned. "Huh? What do you mean, Ossan?"

"He told you to be yourself, aho," Shirosaki said in a derisive tone.

Zangetsu continued, "Believe in your notions, remember the purpose you sought when you agreed to be a substitute shinigami. Don't ever think to rest your ailing legs, keep moving forward and disclose the truth. Even if the ideals you paint crumbles and everything turns into lies, we'll definitely be by your side."

Ichigo felt the sensation that his consciousness pulled him away.

"Huh? Ossan, explain more, I don't understand."

"Just don't turn around, King. We'll watch your back," Shirosaki smirked at him as he began to float away.

"Ossan, wait!!!"

Ichigo gasped, breathed heavily as he came back to his body and faced a cold white tile beneath his chin. He heard murmurs, getting louder as seconds passed by. People talking not so far from him, someone laughed, a deep voice shut the other voices and the room shortly became quiet.

"The first thing I must say to you is good job, everyone. You've done it as I say. We'll keep him in the captivity I've designed special for him.

"Now, on the different topic, why haven't I see any single report on my desk? I believe I told you to summarize the fight. Hm?"

"I made it, Aizen-sama," said an alto feminine voice. "But this smartass took it from me right when I was about to put in on your desk!"

"Oi, I said I wanna compare our works!" a lazy voice countered. "But they yanked it from me to copy it and now I don't know where it is."

Ichigo's focus told him that he was in a meeting room surrounded by white walls and high ceiling. A long table placed right in the middle of the room with eleven people sat around it, arguing each other.

"Aizen-sama, I'm still working on it," the pink haired man raised his hand.

"Why does it take so much time even for you. Szayel?"

"I… um… I'm still analyzing some facts. I only have written this much…" he pulled out a big scroll of paper from his pocket.

Aizen's eyes widened in surprise. "Okay, I expect that to be done tomorrow," he finally said after a moment of pregnant silence. "What about the other? Barragan? Aaroniero? Zommari?"

"I've already told my fraccions to make it but in the end they gave me summary of Beachy Bitchy Girls…"

"Ooh!! That tvseries about beach and bitch right?" big fatty arrancar suddenly clapped his hands. "I love watching it too. Say, what story brought up in the…"

"Barragan, mop third floor—THE WHOLE THIRD FLOOR BY YOURSELF—and finish it before dawn!" Aizen spat out. "And I'll lock your fraccions in the Detention Tower." Barragan wanted to protest but he knew it wasn't the right time. "Aaroniero?" Aizen turned his burning eyes to Aaroniero, who immediately pulled his mask to cover his face because he scared Aizen could roast him with just a glare.

He squeaked, "My room isn't equipped with paper and I'm afraid UV light will mess up with my skin if I come out from my room too often to find papers. You know, the ozone hole above Antarctica is influencing our world…"

"But you can write on your notepad!"

"I dropped it somewhere…"

"Is your book a tiny thing with picture of Chappi in the cover?" skinny arrancar with long silky hair asked.

"How'd you know?"

"I found it in the stairs leading to your quarter," Nnoitra threw the cute book to Aaroniero.

"And Zommari?" Aizen continued his inquiry.

The black skinned arrancar opened his mouth and inhaled as if he was going to babble about something lengthy, "I forgot."

"Fine," Aizen hit the table. "Aaroniero, I want you to stand under the sunlight for the whole day tomorrow and Zommari, you clean the spider webs in the underground tunnels. And don't cheat, because I'll know. God… it'll need centuries to teach you discipline…" he sipped his tea.

Tousen came out of nowhere and filled Aizen's empty cup with tea again. "He's awake," he whispered as he poured the reddish liquid from the teapot.

"I know," Aizen nodded. He glanced at Ichigo, who glared back at him furiously but couldn't do anything because his hands were tied and his zampakuto lied on the table.

Aizen stood up. "Meeting's over, get back to your duties. Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, take him to his special room," he nudged his head in Ichigo's direction. "And give him his sword."

The two Espada approached Ichigo, each looked down at him as if he was only a dirty smelly shit.

"Why do I have to do this with you," Ulquiorra sighed.

"Hey, that should be my line!" Grimmjow countered.

Ulquiorra sighed again before pulling Ichigo on his collar mercilessly and dragged him to the exit door. "Get a hold of yourself, Shinigami!"

"Give me my zanpakuto!" Ichigo's hands stuck out towards his blade that was in Grimmjow's hands.

"You call this a zanpakuto?" Grimmjow cackled sadistically. "This oversized and ugly kitchen knife?"

"Shut up fucktard!"

"You don't know your place, Shinigami." Grimmjow swung Zangetsu playfully.

Ichigo felt weak and pathetic. He could have ripped the rope and freed himself if he didn't sense something wrong with his nerves. As if he could read Ichigo's mind, Ulquiorra uttered,

"We've injected you with anesthetic. You won't be able to use your usual power until the effect wears out, but we'll continuously feed you with the drug. Here we are…"

They stopped in front of a door without any handle or vent. The door reacted to Ulquiorra's soul power and opened automatically. Ulquiorra pushed Ichigo into the room and Grimmjow threw Zangetsu to Ichigo's side.

Ichigo shot them an irritated look before Ulquiorra closed the door and left him in the heavy darkness.

O_O

Orihime sobbed onto Ishida's shoulder. She had been better than when she heard the news five hours ago. Ishida patted her back nervously and wished the other shinigamis just turned their back to him and not watching at how his face bitrated.

Urahara Kisuke slipped two staircases when he heard Ichigo was captured.

Kurosaki Ichigo, the wielder of such a great power, had been taken down. Urahara had trained Ichigo from hatch so he knew very well what kind of strength would be able to kill the kid. Ichigo's reiatsu, he supposed, might be the greatest reiatsu in the world within the latest two decades!!!

"With this incident," Yamamoto held firmly onto his walking stick, spoke to the screen which connected him to the shaken shinigamis and humans, "we need to rethink our plan. Kurosaki Ichigo's departure is undoubtedly our greatest loss in this war…"

"Hold on a second, Yamamoto-soutaicho," Renji interrupted, "Ichigo hasn't died yet! I still can feel his pulse beneath my skin, I knew he's still alive and will find one or the other way to come back to us!"

"Good speech, Renji," Rukia smacked his elbow.

Yamamoto-soutaicho opened the slit beneath his white moustache, "Though we know you saw Kurosaki Ichigo was kidnapped alive, we believe he has been executed by now. They won't waste their time for a foe. And if he is still alive, he must have chosen their side—strain yourself, Abarai-fukutaicho," he added when Renji's mouth opened again, ready to intervene.

Rukia gripped his hand to keep his mouth shut. The last thing they needed to save Ichigo was to be killed by Yamamoto-soutaicho.

"We mark this day as his death day and I'm leaving to you his human friends to deal with his family. We will hold a funeral for him this noon and I expect you all to come.

"About the strategy, Twelfth Division assisted by Urahara Kisuke is plotting another plan due to recent incidents. Therefore, while waiting for the result, I want you all to retract to Soul Society and prepare yourself in your divisions. Hitsugaya-taicho!"

"Hai!"

"I want you to make sure your subordinates come back here obediently, you got that?"

"Hai, wakarimashita!"

The monitor was turned off. At the same time, a senkai gate opened behind them. Kenpachi and Byakuya came out.

"We're here to make sure Hitsugaya-taicho do his work properly," said Byakuya.

"Nii-sama," Rukia instantaneously faced her brother. "We don't believe Ichigo is dead. We want to go to Hueco Mundo as soon as we can and…"

"Rukia, are you opposing Soutaicho's order?" Byakuya glanced at Rukia very slowly.

"Nnn… no…" Rukia backed off, chickened out. "But I…"

"Soul Society's matter is bigger than just one's life. We can't endanger the whole universe only to save one person," Byakuya hastily countered.

Renji embraced Rukia's thin shoulders and looked at his captain in the eye. "Alright, Taicho. We'll follow you."

"Renji! What are you talking? We are supposed to…"

"No, Rukia. We must come back. We'll have time to avenge Ichigo later. Later, not now."

Rukia bugged her eyes at Renji in disbelief. How could he, the Renji Rukia knew, talk like that? How could he choose to think that Ichigo had died, or, had changed sides?

"I'm sorry guys," Rukia turned her body to face Orihime, Chad, and Ichida, but couldn't meet their eyes. They must feel disgusted about Soul Society now. But she knew she couldn't do anything. Her power alone wouldn't be enough to resist three captains, two vive captains, and two high seated officers.

"It's okay, Kuchiki-san," said Ishida in bitter but understanding voice. "He's a human after all."

Rukia wanted to snap back, to tell them that Soul Society didn't put humans in less priority, but her tongue felt numb. Not a single word could escape her lips.

"Come on," said Kenpachi. "And you three are welcome if you want to attend that brat's funeral. Let's go!"

Renji hauled Rukia to follow the others, then the senkai gate disappeared.

"I… I still can't believe it…" Orihime began to sob again. "Kurosaki-kun…"

"We can't just sit here and wait. We must go to Hueco Mundo and save him," Ishida flexed his knuckles. "Are you two in with me?"

"Of course," Chad agreed. "It's my turn to help him."

"Inoue-san? If you don't want to go, it's okay, we won't force you…"

Orihime hiccupped but she answered the question inadvertently, "No. I want to go. I can't stand doing nothing. I have to go."

Ishida nodded. "Let's go to Urahara's shop and ask him how we could get to Hueco Mundo."

Chad and Orihime nodded in agreement, then the three of them immediately flew to Urahara's shop.

O_O

The door flipped open again after a few hours. Ichigo couldn't be sure how long he had curled in the corner of the dark room, hugging himself, hating his incapability to defend his own ass, regretting the whole event. The dead faced arrancar came in and pulled him until he stood.

Ichigo felt weaker and useless and he couldn't think of any idea as to what purpose did Aizen kept him alive.

"Undress," said Ulquiorra, as he forcefully pulled Ichigo's hakama until it was torn off.

"What the fuck do you want?!" Ichigo grabbed Ulquiorra's hand, but he was too weak that Ulquiorra shoved his hand away like slapping a fly.

"You have to change," Ulquiorra answered plainly. After Ichigo's shinigami black robes were off, Ulquiorra put on the white dress that had the same design with Ichigo's bankai suit. Only it was white. It reminded Ichigo of his inner hollow. "And you have to eat. Come," Ulquiorra kicked Zangetsu from the floor and caught it with his left hand, then hung it on Ichigo's back.

"And why the hell do I need to eat?" Ichigo panted, couldn't keep with Ulquiorra's fast pace. Their steps echoed along the too tall endless pathway.

"Because Aizen-sama wants you to."

"You put the drug in the food, right?" Ichigo snorted. "I won't eat anything, or drink anything until the effect runs out. And I'll get out from here."

"Unfortunately, the effect includes hunger and an addiction to the drug. The addiction is temporary of course, but you need to hold the urge of taking the drugs that will drive you crazy before the effects totally disappear."

I won't be able to protect my friends if I can't stand the pain, Ichigo thought.

Ulquiorra brought him to the meeting room, where Aizen and his Espadas sat around the long table. He had added one chair between his chair and Grimmjow's, right in front of Ulquiorra's seat, parting him with the teal-haired Espada.

"Take your seat," Aizen swayed his hand to his right. "And have your meal."

A plate of spaghetti served before Ichigo as Ulquiorra pushed him to sit down. The other Espadas were having tea.

"Kaname, please," Aizen leaned his jaws onto the back of his hands on the table, smiling cheerfully. Ichigo stared at the spaghetti without any interest.

Tousen turned on the projector and Ichigo involuntarily had to recognize the people that gathered around a gravestone in the projection above the table. There were the captains, vice captains, and the other shinigamis. His eyes widened as he read the name carved on the stone.

KUROSAKI ICHIGO, 15 YEAR-OLD

"This is your funeral, Kurosaki-kun," said Aizen. "They'd considered you die according to your disappearance. You are no longer their ally. Why don't you eat, Kurosaki-kun? You'll get sick."

Ichigo's widened eyes turned to Aizen. "Why would you care, bastard?"

"Watch your tongue Kurosaki-Ichigo," Ulquiorra scolded.

"It's fine, Ulquiorra," Aizen raised his hand, automatically stopped Ulquiorra. "I see you have no intentions in joining us. It's okay, we won't force you, after all. It's enough just sealing your reaitsu with the drug, to make sure you won't interfere with our revenge."

Ichigo now narrowed his eyes. "Revenge? What revenge?"

"It's not something a kid like you would understand," Grimmjow scowled.

The shinigamis in the picture were praying for him, made Ichigo felt awkward. They kept silent as they watched the procession, and then the shinigamis were dismissed. Ichigo didn't see a raven haired girl and the aka-pine.

Where are they? he murmured to himself. Hope they don't do anything reckless… And if they'd considered him dead, how'd Ishida, Chad, and Inoue doing? His family?

By the moment he thought about them, he felt an ache in his chest, made him fall from the chair.

"Oi!" Grimmjow reflexively stuck out his left arm to prevent Ichigo from hitting the floor with his face. "What the heck's going on?" he asked the smiling Aizen.

"Nothing. It's just the drug," Aizen answered straightly.

"It's hard for him to breathe," Stark commented.

"The drug's special. No one would be able to resist the addiction," said Szayel, the one that made the drugs.

"We should take him to his room," Halibel suggested.

"Is he going to die if he doesn't take the medicines?" asked Aaroniero.

"I don't care if the stupid berry dies," Yammy chuckled.

"Take him outta here, Grimmjow," said Barragan, "I can't stand being near with a weakling."

"Why me?!" Grimmjow, as usual, protested.

"Just take him Grimmjow. I've shown him what I want him to see," said Aizen.

Grimmjow muttered to himself about how unlucky he was. He circled Ichigo's arm around his neck and walked the almost fainted shinigami out from the meeting room.

"Tch… stop whining, crybaby berry! You're hurting my ears."

"Just… leave… me alone… then…" Ichigo panted.

"Oi, stop talking in yer sleep. If ya wanna sleep then just shut yer fucking eyes."

"Just see… I'll pass this sickening torture and rip your heads off of your necks!"

Grimmjow laughed heartily, so loud that they who were still at the meeting room could hear him.

"Don't talk about pain to me, brat! Ya haven't taste even a fucking drop of it!"

"What… what don't I know…"

"You're asking me? Heh, there're a lot that you don't know, Shinigami. You never learn the truth."

The truth. It triggered the memories of that fight with Ulquiorra. Ichigo coughed. "The truth? What truth?"

"You won't understand."

Grimmjow opened the door with his soul pressure, then kicked Ichigo into the room. "And turn on the light, for fuck's sake. You'll look like a blood sucker."

The question echoed in the corner of his mind.

What is truth? What is justice?

O_O

"Come on Rukia, the ceremony is about to begin," Renji knocked at the shoji door.

"Renji, do you really believe that Ichigo had died? I don't. He's still alive somewhere and I'll find him, and I'll save him. I'll pay back what he did for me." Rukia opened the slide door. "I won't attend the funeral. He's waiting for us. And if you're going to stop me, I won't hold back."

They stared at each other. Rukia was dead serious about this and Renji knew that. He smiled softly and crumpled Rukia's hair.

"Geez, Rukia. Why would I stop you? I'm going too!"

Rukia a bit startled, then her eyes glowed in relieve. "Renji!"

"It's easier for us to run away from here when everyone's distracted. Come on Rukia! We need to meet Urahara-san."

O_O

Dhinx's note: So… to be continued. ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dhinx's note: I love some quotes from BLEACH anime. XD

O_O

Urahara gawked at the three young and healthy but insane humans in front of him.

"And you are asking me to do this for free?"

"You know we can't pay you anything, Urahara-san," Ishida stated. "Just help us, Urahara-san. There's no way you would believe in such a petty deliberation, is there?"

"I know, but I won't open the tunnel for three hopeless humans just to let them die in the other side."

"But we've trained, Urahara-san. We're stronger now!" Orihime argued.

"But your powers are still not enough. If this is Ichigo who ask me to open it, I would be gladly open it for him. But he's there now and I can't be assured that you three will be alright!"

"But we can't stay here and pretend he's dead!"

Urahara averted his eyes to the stairs that led to the fore ground. He smiled, "They're here."

"Who?" Ishida shortly gripped his bow.

"With them, I can open garganta."

Two shinigamis flew down, both looked determined.

"Kuchiki-san!"

"Renji-kun!!"

Urahara opened an eyehole like the arrancars used to travel in different dimensions.

"We're sorry to make you wait," Rukia stooped.

"But how could you leave Soul Society? Don't they want you to help them?"

"We didn't come to the funeral," Renji explained. "Instead, we used the senkai gate to come here."

"And I've read in a book that Hueco Mundo is dusty," Rukia pulled out a few ply of sheets like she was wearing. "Wear these!"

"Thank you Kuchiki-san," Orihime, Chad, and Ishida instantly thanked her.

"The gate's ready, guys. Jump in!" Urahara called.

Renji stuck out his hand all of a sudden. "Guys, this is the ritual that usually was commenced before Gotei Juusantai went to a battle. They don't do this nowadays but I think it's a good time to give it a try. Put your hands on mine"

Puzzled, they did what Renji said.

"Now we head towards the battlefield. Believe, and our blades will not break. Believe, and our hearts will not bend. Though the roads we take may be different, our iron hearts will beat as one. Swear that even if the Earth is torn assunder, we will live and return here once again!"

With that good luck charm, they leaped into the garganta, which was closed right away. Urahara smirked. "He did an old ritual. Anyway, good luck to you kids!"

O_O

Times flew by. Different Espadas came to his room to bring him food, some talked to him and some used the chance to beat him. He began to remember their names.

The pain in his chest now spread out to his limbs all over his body and he wondered just how long he had to endure this torture. He could have killed himself but he always think about his home, thinking of protecting the precious ones.

If he was considered dead, did Soul Society inform his family? He could see clearly Yuzu and Karin cried over his grave beside his mom's grave. This image doubled the pain. It might be tripled as he remembered his friends at school… Keigo, Mizuiro, the lesbian Chizuru, Tatsuki, Ishida, Chad…

Inoue…

"Oi, Kuso!" a rough voice shattered his imagination. "Come out, Aizen wants you to take a walk."

Ichigo stared at him, making him mad.

"What, Shinigami?! Don't give me that fucking look!"

"Calm down, Grimmjow," a tall wide-grinned Espada appeared behind the Bluehead. Ichigo called out his efforts to remember this Espada's name. Something from N…

"What are you doing here, Jiruga?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I told you I don't have anything for you! Shove off!" Grimmjow gnashed his teeth. He walked in and kicked a plate. "Che, you still don't want to eat? Well, suit yourself." He pulled Ichigo in the collar and brought him out. "What, you can't even walk? Brace yourself, I don't plan on carrying you the whole way!"

Ichigo learned that it was so hard to command his feet to move.

"Pathetic," Grimmjow commented.

"You could be as skinny as me if you starve yourself a little longer, Shinigami," Nnoitra spoke, still tailing Grimmjow.

They arrived at a training ground, bright as a million tellurium lamps turned on. They were still inside the castle of course. This was one of Aizen's artificial environment.

Two swords clashed as they stepped in and sat on the bench. Stark and Halibel were sparring in super hollow speed. Ichigo's weak brain was unable to see them. Never the less, Aizen looked serious, sometimes he bobbed his head.

"I thought… arrancars don't do sparring."

"We have to be prepared for the final face-off," Nnoitra said. "This war is not only yours, Shinigami."

"I thought… that… you are already… powerful…"

Szayel smirked at him. "Still having difficulty in breathing? Wanna erase the pain? I have some pills in my pocket."

Ichigo noted that the Espadas had put off their coats. Not that it was important, though.

"I have a good news for you, Kurosaki-kun," Aizen stopped watching Stark and Halibel and turned his gaze at Ichigo. "Five of your comrades are known moving towards us now."

Ichigo lifted his face, couldn't help to show a hopeful expression and at the same time felt inferior for hoping to be saved. Ichigo hurriedly changed his expression, but it was too late.

Aizen smiled seeing his face. "So the hero calls for help. I've never imagined it. Grimmjow, spar with him! Halibel, Stark, stop!"

"Isn't it a bit unfair?" Grimmjow muttered. "In our last battle, I could easily cut off his head. He won't be able to approach me even an inch with his current condition."

"Are you, for a reason, care for this shinigami Grimmjow?" asked Halibel, while she wiped the sweat at her forehead with a piece of cloth.

"Tch…" Grimmjow pulled out his sword. "Get your butt down there, Shinigami!"

"Don't call me… Shinigami…" Ichigo crawled behind Grimmjow. 'I have… a name…"

"What, you prefer to be called Strawberry?"

"Fuck… you…"

"I wish," Grimmjow smirked again. "Ikuzo!"

Ichigo placed his katana in front of his face in the right time, but his sore legs couldn't support his body from Grimmjow's soul pressure. He only could stand one second before knocked down to the ground.

"Way to go, Grimm!" Nnoitra shouted.

"Finally you're not the only one that always being knocked down, Grimm!" Stark commented.

"Oi! I'm not the one that always being knocked down, asshole!!" He glared at Ichigo furiously. "Get up and fight me Kurosaki!"

Ichigo had drained his stamina only to resist Grimmjow's plain sword play. He wasn't strong enough to lift his zanpakuto.

"You suck, King," said the voice in the back of his head.

Shut up! Ichigo thought.

"You can hardly move now. You're lacking oxygen in your system. Want me to help you inhale?"

SHUT UP!! Ichigo fell again.

Shirosaki laughed. "Let me save your butt this time."

Ichigo tried as hard as he could to keep himself conscious but the drug made him involuntarily desired to sleep, giving the room for Shirosaki to take advantage of his body. He could feel Shirosaki laughed with his throat, moved with his legs, took a full control of his body without being affected by the anesthetic because, basically, he was a different existence.

"What's happening?" Halibel was the first Espada to notice the fluctuation in Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Ho…" Aizen smiled maniacally, while Gin and Tousen stayed alert. Szayel adjusted his glasses, reminding himself to analyze the unusual power once he got back to his room.

Grimmjow was confused as white mask began to cover Ichigo's face. He gripped his sword tighter.

"What, surprised?" Shirosaki chuckled. He shunpo-ed, quite fast that Grimmjow didn't expect it and reacted a little late. Shirosaki managed to slash his body from the shoulder to his waist.

"Che. I don't know what you did or what you're going to do, but I'll rip that mask off of your face and finish you, Kurosaki!"

Shirosaki dodged Grimmjow easily. He caught Pantera with his left arm and pulled it closer. "What a beautiful swordplay you have there Grimmjow…"

Clank! Grimmjow lost his grip. He fell.

O_O

"So this is Las Noches," Ishida touched the white wall.

"We mutht come in from the front door-ssu!"

"Huh? Where's the front door?"

"It'th three dayth walk from here-ssu!"

All five of them sweat dropped.

"Meh, there's no way we'll have a three more days of walk just for trying to be polite," Renji unsheathed zanpakuto. "Hoero, Zabimaru!" The wall collapsed, showing a dark tunnel. "Let's go!"

"We should be more careful inside," Ishida said.

Orihime patted Nel's skull. "Nel-chan, you should not come with us. It's a dangerous journey."

"No! Nel wantth to come!"

"Oi you two! Make sure that she won't follow us," Ishida pointed at Pesche and Dondochakka.

"She's persistent dontchaknow."

"Yeah, she's stubborn," Pesche added.

"You three are trying to say that you'll go there with us? Don't joke around, this fight is too dangerous for you!" said Rukia.

"But you all have thave uth, tho now ith Nel'th turn to help you-ssu! Nel wantth to help-ssu!"

"How do you think, Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asked. "It's dangerous too leaving them here."

Rukia shook her head.

"Come on guys, we don't have much time," Renji spoke. "If they wanna join us, let them be! We need to get hurry."

Chad nodded. "We have no much time."

"Fine," Rukia scoffed. "Let's go."

O_O

Ichigo couldn't recognize the flashes of memories that attacked his head the moment Shirosaki and Grimmjow clashed their zanpakutos.

"What was that, Ossan?" he asked Zangetsu immediately as he spotted Zangetsu whereabouts.

"It's called resonation," Zangetsu said.

"Huh?"

"Usually resonation happens to twin blades, showing their strongest memories when they fight. But if the wielder of different swords has too much wound that he couldn't endure to have it alone, the zanpakuto help him erase the pain by taking the bitter memories. When fight, the zanpakuto trembles and vomit a part or the whole thought it bears."

"So… the scenes I saw is… Grimmjow's sad memories?"

"What did you see?"

"It's something terrible… I saw many shinigamis, buildings like Seireitei… and…"

"I saw as much as you," Zangetsu nodded. "Now get back to your life, Shirosaki is killing them all."

Ichigo concentrated on going back. Shirosaki growled.

O_O

"UORYAAAAHH!!!" Ichigo ripped off his mask with his own hands. Shirosaki came back the inner world and the mask shred into pieces. Instantly, as Ichigo got his body back, he fell. The stamina Shirosaki had used to fight two folded his weakness. He couldn't even sit.

Halibel, Barragan, Nnoitra, Zommari, and Szayel were surrounding him, panting, Nnoitra was in his resurrected state. All standing for Grimmjow.

"Calm down, Espadas," said Aizen, making his way past between Nnoitra and Barragan. "our little shinigami has returned. Sheathe your zanpakuto, Nnoitra." Ichigo closed his eyes. There was a silent moment when they watched Nnoitra closed his resurrection form, before Aizen continued, "Bring him to his cell, Szayel, Stark."

Cold hands grab Ichigo's arms, forcing him to stand up.

"Come, Shinigami!"

Ichigo glanced at the teal-haired Espada as they walked past him. He was shivering and having Aaroniero consoling him.

"Urgh…"

"What, Shinigami?" Szayel snapped.

"I… nothing…" Ichigo felt his chest hurt more as he remembered the flashes he saw back then. Szayel lifted one eyebrow, but didn't continue asking.

"Say, Shinigami, how did you get such a power?" Stark asked.

"Through my training."

"I heard you're Urahara Kisuke's pupil?"

"Not really, he taught me fight for a very short period of time."

Szayel gawked at the ceiling. "That jerk…"

"Who, Urahara-san?"

"Believe me kid, you wouldn't want to know," Stark assured him.

They kept their mouth shut until the arrived in front of Ichigo's cell.

"Can I ask you something Stark-san?"

"Nani?"

"Why are you Espadas so discreet about your past?"

"I'm not being discreet," Stark answered. "I just don't want you to have bad impressions about your comrades."

Szayel opened the door. "Get in!"

"Wait!" Ichigo grasped Szayel's coat. "This way I'll really feel bad about my friends. Just tell me the whole story about your pasts. I want to know."

"Get in, kid!" Szayel grabbed Ichigo's shoulder, letting off Ichigo's fingers from his outfit.

"Calm down, Pinky," Stark touched Szayel's back hand. "Let's tell him." His eyes glowed in a sadistic way. He pushed Ichigo into the dark space.

"Oi…"

"Stark…" Szayel called.

"What are you gonna do?!" Ichigo weakly shrieked.

"Oh, you wanna know, right?" Stark giggled in a not Stark-ly way. Szayel huffed.

"I don't know if Aizen will approve this."

"I don't need his permission. New Szayel, if you're not going to do it with me, close the door."

"Nah, I'll come too."

Ichigo widened his eyes as he saw Szayel's silhouette stepped in the room, then closed the door.

O_O

Dhinx's note:

The spirit is always with you, BUHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Ha-ha… nothing to be worried about, I'm not crazy enough to get a psychological rehabilitation. It's just that this chapter is so hard to write. I wonder why.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own BLEACH T_T

**Chapter 4**

_**-near Grimmjow's headquarters-**_

Nnoitra hid at a fair distance from Grimmjow, who floated in the air waiting for the enemy who was coming. He let his eyes wandered around the broad artificial desert. Tesla stood loyally beside him.

"Ah, there they come," Tesla noted.

"Hum?" Nnoitra narrowed his already narrow eyes. "The little girl with the littler girl? That big booby's the ryoka right?"

"Yes, Nnoitra-sama," Tesla approved.

Nnoitra grinned wide. "Let's see what she got."

_**-at another place-**_

"Quincy?" Szayel chuckled. "Hahahahahaha… very interesting!"

"What are you doing there, Abarai-san?" Ishida glanced at Renji. "It's not the time to take a nap."

"Naniiiii?"

"He's tired dontchaknow," said Dondochakka.

"Shut up you freaking polkadot," Renji fumed. "This is nothing!"

"Finally, someone considers your spots polkadots, Don," Pesche tapped Dondochakka's shoulder sympathetically.

Dondochakka nodded on the remark. "Yeah, may God bless you, dontchaknow."

Renji decided to just ignore the two idiots. He mumbled to himself, "Yeah, yeah… the truth is it's really tiring being around you…"

_**-at another place again-**_

"You chose to die when you're halfway through your job," Zommari said to the figure laying at his feet, without a face to recognize. Not far from there, a female shinigami was unconscious, on the verge of death.

_**-one more other place-**_

Chad laid his back on the big chunk of stone, breathing heavily. _That damned skinny espada_, he cursed.

Yamamoto-soutaicho frowned. The paper Urahara Kisuke had faxed him from the living world crumbled in his hand. The captains remained silent, afraid of saying something wrong that would lead them to death, or worse, demotion. After a few seconds of tense air, the grandpa finally opened his mouth.

"Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, Eleventh Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, Twelveth Division Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri, all of you with your lieutenants will go to Hueco Mundo to bring back our assets alive. Understand?"

The said captains answered in unison, "Yessir!"

"And Unohana-taicho, I want you to go with them and treat the injured. Bring along your vice captain."

Aside from Hitsugaya and Unohana, all the captains murmured to each other. Of course they saw the plan of sending their number one healer to the enemy's base as too risky.

"Sending four captains to Hueco Mundo, he really wants to bust them up," Kyouraku murmured to Ukitake's ears, shocking the latter mentioned.

"Since when did you move to my side?"

"That aside, I think Yamamoto-jiichan has made the right choice. We actually need that much power to bring back our precious assets of battle from the enemy's hands. Anyhow, looking from every angle, Toushirou-kun looks troubled. He must be wanting to go to Hueco Mundo too to even up the score with Aizen, don't you think?"

Ukitake nodded. "But it's best for him not to go there now. He's too hot-blooded for his own good."

Before Kyouraku could say more, Yamamoto spoke up. "Urahara Kisuke has suggested us one plan and I'll be going with that. His plan is to make an immitation of Karaura Town while the original one is put somewhere at Rukongai. Some vice captains will stay here to make sure things are alright and the rest will come with me to the human world. I also want the third and fifth seat of eleventh division to come along.

"The decisive battle will take place tomorrow. I want all of you to have one last meeting here after dinner. That's all for now, you can go back to your headquarters. Dismissed."

As they walked out of the room, Komamura burbled, "I wanna meet Tousen as fast as I can."

"Let's wait at the living world, he'll surely be there tomorrow," said Kyouraku calmly.

"I hope Kuchiki and Abarai are fine, wherever they are now," Ukitake stared off to the blue sky.

"They'll be fine," Hitsugaya joined. "If Kurosaki's still alive, that is. And I believe he is."

Aizen watched the monitors intensely since four captains, three vice captains, and one seventh-seated officer made entrance at his castle. All of them splitted into four groups, each marched to different locations.

"Hm…"

"Whazzup, Aizen?" Gin asked. "Trouble?"

"How are things going at the living world?" Aizen turned at Tousen.

"Old man Yamamoto and the other captains have arrived there and now are waiting for us," answered Tousen, looking at another monitor.

Aizen flinched. Grimmjow had been defeated by the sexy teenage girl that was then fighting Nnoitra. Since Ichigo unintentionally peeked into Grimmjow's worst memory, he had been strange—not that he wasn't strange to begin with, though.

Szayel was still playing with the Quincy and the Red Pineapple, not even bother to look at the two strange hollows that followed the intruders. The monitor beside the one with Szayel in it showed the freaking masked captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his lieutenant. Aizen turned around to see how the others were doing. Unohana and her subordinate was going to the place where Chad lied unconscious. Byakuya with Hanatarou went to Aaroniero's room which was now occupied by Zommari.

Aizen's heart jolted as he saw Aaroniero's dead body. Poor kid, to die at such a young age. Aizen even hadn't taught him how to write kanji. The pain in his chest grew even more when he noticed the most powerful captain after Yamamoto was heading towards Nnoitra's place. No… he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Kaname, please the tenteikuura," he said hastily.

"Sure," Tousen said obediently. "Bakudou no nanajuu…"

"What's wrong?" Gin asked, placing one hand on Aizen's shoulder, while Tousen chanted the communication device.

"Everything. The plan has to be executed faster that I've expected," he answered. He then talked through the tenteikuura Tousen had made for him, "To all espadas, I'd like you to gather in my room right this moment. Leave your preys to the Exequias. I want you all to be here in half a minute."

Each second felt like centuries for Aizen. He patiently watched each of his kids paced toward his room, and was relieved seeing all of them—with Aaroniero on Zommari's hands and Grimmjow on Nnoitra's back—arrived in the room. Szayel, whose room was the farthest from the meeting point, didn't manage to revert his resurreccion and he mumbled to the others, "Watch out my wings, oi, my wings! You'll regret it if it swallows you whole… My wings, watch out…"

"Change of plan," Aizen said. "All of us will go to the living world to eliminate the captains who're waiting us there. Speaking of which, Kaname, our substitute shinigami?"

"Because he refuses to take anything into his system, we couldn't give him any more drug and the effect's starting to wear out. He'll regain his powers…" Tousen peeked at his old-fashioned pocket watch, "in a few minutes from now."

"It's about time," Aizen commented. "Gin, unlock his cage, let him have his reunion."

"You sure?" Gin opened his eyes, such a rare event.

Aizen nodded, glancing at Stark and Szayel. "Yes. I believe Stark and Szayel have told him a bit of our story." Stark and Szayel fidgeted at that, but then eased up when Aizen smiled. "That'd be enough to give him some new fresh minds. Lets go now, we've gotta be fast."

"Huh? He's gone," Renji looked around. "Is he really leaving us here?"

"Dunno, maybe Aizen's trying to come up with a new plan," Ishida shook his shoulders while taking his weapons from the ground.

Suddenly there was a sound of explosion and the two people Ishida never wanted to see again appeared.

"Kurotsuchi-taicho!" Renji exclaimed.

"My, my… he's ran away…" Mayuri hummed. "Yappari, they're just garbages after all… worthless garbages. Sa, now that we've seen the messed up, take out the pills, Nemu, and shove 'em to ther throats, one per person."

And before Ishida could protest, he had swallowed whatever thing Kurotsuchi Nemu forced him to, and so did Renji.

"What the hell was that?" Ishida snapped.

Mayuri chuckled. "Those pills will heal the damaged organs, or simply replace them if the damaged are beyond repair. Don't worry, I didn't add anything suspicious in them—oh, okay, I did put some signal transmitters that will allow me to know what's happening in your stomaches. Don't worry, they are not dangerous, not like Taenia solium, they're harmless, totally harmless."

Ishida gave him sour look while Renji scratched his cheek, couldn't really grasp what Mayuri was saying.

At Rukia's place, Byakuya attended to her wounds with the fidgeting Hanatarou. "They really ran away," he muttered.

Hanatarou smiled. "Maybe they're afraid of you, Kuchiki-taicho."

And somewhere near the fifth tower, Orihime was surprised by the arrival of Kenpachi and Yachiru.

"Che, there's nothing here," Kenpachi splattered.

"They've just gone, Kenpachi-san," Orihime stuttered.

"Cowards."

Orihime tapped her t-shirt and bowed down. "I'm sorry Kenpachi-san, I have to go to find Kurosaki-kun. See you, and Yachiru-chan too."

"See you big-booby," Yachiru waved a hand.

Orihime and Nel went from that place.

Ichigo shivered, like he was having cold. He didn't realize his powers had come back, and even stronger than before. What Stark and Szayel told him was out of any expectation. Of course, they could have told him lies, but Stark's unusual flat tone, the fire in Szayel's gaze, they couldn't be just acts to drive his mind insane.

It could have been hours when he was aware that his chest had stopped aching.

"The effect has gone," he whispered to himself. He jumped up in gratefulness, but then he hesitated. What was he to do now that he 'd learned the truth? Well, first thing first he had to make sure his friends were alright and go out of this shithole immediately.

But then, he couldn't help but continue thinking about it. What then? After reuniting with his friends, what then? Going home without taking any part in the war? Living as if all that happened were just nightmares?

"You already know the answer, King," Shirosaki's voice choed in the halls of his mind. "Go ahead, we're watching your back."

"Shut up. Since when were we in good terms?"

"Since you learned the taste of despair."

Ichigo broke the wall that had been isolating him these past few days. It crumbled very easily, surprising him, and for a second he dazed. So the walls of Las Noches were this fragile? No wonder they needed to drug him.

"Kurosaki-kun?" suddenly a feminine voice rang through the corridor. Ichigo was stunned.

"I… Inoue?"

"KUROSAKI-KUN!" Orihime marched at his direction. When she was a few steps away, she jumped at him, her hard head bumped into his chest and he almot fell.

"Ow, Inoue, that hurts!"

"Are you Itsygo?" Nel asked.

"Huh? Who's this, Inoue?"

Orihime, still beaming, took Nel in her arms. "This is Nel. She and her brothers took us here. She even helped me fight Dordonii-san. And she's an arrancar," Orihime patted Nel's broken mask.

"Oh," Ichigo stared at the little girl curiously. If she was with Aizen and the the others… did she experience what the others did?

"Come on, Kurosaki-kun. We have to find the others and show them that you're not hurt."

Ichigo couldn't recall since when Orihime was this talkative to him. He felt that the girl had gotten stronger and became more confident.

"By the way, Kurosaki-kun, you look handsome in that outfit. Did they give it to you?"

"Huh? Oh, thanks. Yea, I think this one's for me. I don't know where Ulquiorra put my own clothes, though."

"Itsygo, are you a thinigami too?" Nel asked.

"Not really. I'm a substitute shinigami, and have been fought side by side with them. But now I don't know where I should be standing."

"What do you mean, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know… let's not talk about this now and find the others—"

"KUROSAKI!"

"ICHIGO!"

Two familiar voices saluted him as they wet out of the building to the glaring artificial sun.

"You look healthy, Ichigo."

"Are you having fun here? You don't seem like someone who's been taken hostage."

Chad, Ishida, Rukia, Renji, and some captains were there together. Unohana and Isane were busied by Rukia and Chad.

"Everyone," Ichigo smiled. It felt like a millennium after he last saw their faces.

"No need to thank us, Ichigo," said Renji. "Anyway, Aizen and his cronies are now heading out at the living world."

"Huh? Why? What for?" Ichigo clenched his fists.

"They have to sacrifice some soul to make the ouken," said Byakuya. "But Captain Commander and the others must have arrived there now so we don't need to worry that much, though we indeed have to go there ASAP. But the most important thing now is to recuperate."

Renji nodded. "Yeah, there's no point in going to help everyone when we're ragged."

Ichigo widened his eyes. "But, if they hold a battle there, all out, with such a huge reiatsu, that will be the end of my town! Then, there's no point in 'saving the whole town' part because they're going to crush it in the end. We have to stop them!"

"Listen Ichigo," Kenpachi said calmly. "The old man has assigned Urahara Kisuke to think of a plan. That brat—"

"Don't forget my contribution, Zaraki," Mayuri interrupted.

"—has thought of two ideas," he continued as if Mayuri hadn't interfered. "First, open the garganta so that we could be here to save your butts. Then, he made an immitation of your little town, while the original one is being kept temporarily at Rukongai. That means everyone can have war all they like without being afraid to sacrifice many lives. In short, we can idle here for a fair amount of time."

But if we don't hurry, who knows what could have happened to the espadas, Ichigo's mind spun like a spintop.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, worriness was printed on her big bright eyes. "If you're worried about your family, they've been—"

"No, it's not about my family," Ichigo scurrily said. "I mean, they can protect themselves. Dad's pretty reliable when it comes to protecting the girls, though he looks like that. I… we need to stop Soutaicho. There are problems we need to solve."

"Stop the commander?" Ishida raised an eyebrow.

"And what are the problems, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya's eyes narrowed in anticipation.

Ichigo couldn't help but to let the disgusted look pierced through Byakuya in the eyes as he answered, rather emotionally, "Their pasts! You know it well, don't you, Byakuya? When you were still a spoiled brat waiting to be the next family head, there was this asocial quiet kid attracted you grandpa's interests. You envied him and you threatened him so he'd go away. But your grandpa liked him too much, so you hired an assassin to kill him.

"But well, not everything went along your plan. The kid escaped to the boundary between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo."

A solid and heavy silence trailed. Everyone gaped at the speechless Byakuya. Rukia was the most taken aback.

"Nii-sama? Is that true, what Ichigo said?"

"Ichigo, don't tell me that unfortunate kid…" Ishida's words faded to the air as Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah. He lost his heart and become a hollow. He's now the fourth-seated arrancar."

Byakuya's eye twitched. "How did you know this? Did he spill everything to you?"

"No. Some other arrancars told me, Stark and Szayel. They were once in the eleventh and twelveth division. I don't have to tell you what they suffered back then, do I?" Ichigo now switched to Kenpachi, who lost his voice, cunfusion and surprise overwlemed him. "Szayel even got his organs ripped out in some experiment you conducted, Mayuri."

"Got your head too high, huh, brat?" Kenpachi gripped the hilt of his zanpakuto. Mayuri hissed while pulling out his sword.

"Don't think we'll let this slip—" Mayuri barked.

"Don't point your sword to my friend!" Renji suddenly unsheathed Zabimaru and pointed it at Mayuri while standing between the masked man and Ichigo.

"You're going to assault your superior, even after what we've done to save your ass?" Mayuri clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, now I get it. I'm just one of your experiment object, aren't I? That's why you gave us your stupid pills?"

"If you're so ungrateful of my rescue, might as well you die here now—"

"WAIT!" Ichigo pulled Renji in the collar, pushing him aside as if he was a wild dog. The red pineapple grunted in pain. "It's no use fighting here now. We have to hurry to the human world!"

"If that's your decision," a monotonous voice suddenly rang in the broad space. A green-eyed dark-haired small figure appeared. Ulquiorra continued while Ichigo and the others jaw-dropped at the dramatic entrance of the said espada, "Aizen-sama told me to stay so that I can escort you back to your hometown when you've made your mind."

Ulquiorra tapped on the atmosphere, where an eyehole erected, connecting Hueco Mundo and the faux Karakura Town.

DN: Gosh, I finished this chapter at February 23rd 2009. That's more than freaking two years ago! Okay, I actually have finished writing this story two years ago, but too lazy to type it (I wrote it on my binder during classes when I was bored to death by the lecture. Y'know, as a senior in high school who was going to take the national exam and university entrance exam, I didn't have much thing to do at school but to listen to the teachers re-teaching us the materials from the first year. It was boring as hell, I assure you).

But everytime I checked on my stories there were always people who hit this fanfic (no matter how crappy or uninteresting this is), so I guess the title is not that unattractive, then I found the strength to type this again.

Hint: I hate Yamamoto-soutaicho. To the core of my heart.


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